I've heard of writers block, but this is a whole new level. It goes from my head to my heart, and to the pit of my stomach. I simply can't put into words what I see every day for a whole month. This month seems as though it takes everything to a new level..it has been overwhelming at times. I've seen the most pain and hurt I could imagine.. back to back. A friends 3 year old who was sexually abused by a family member, a 2 year old beat to death because of a potty-training accident, teenage foster and adopted children lost and on the verge of suicide who don't know where they belong, babies being tossed around the system due to control battles by the family involved, a 4-year old banging on my door screaming that mom hit them and is now nowhere to be found and they haven't eaten all day…and its 2pm, elementary kids knocking on my door because they walked home from school and mom isn't home so they have nowhere to go, mothers with injuries from boyfriends abusing them in front of their children, children living in homes that have been reported for abuse and neglect 5 or 6 times and no one is doing anything about it.. high school students sleeping wherever they land because they will do all that they can to avoid going to the chaos they call home, a girl in Nepal messaging me every day because her family is about to lose their home and they will be living on the streets, secrets that have been kept for years that are tearing apart entire families, and these are just the cases that have been brought directly to me in desperation for help. I was at the Child Advocacy Center one day and in the 10 minutes I was there, I heard police officers answer 10+ phone calls reporting child abuse, and saw one of them slam the phone down in frustration at what they had just heard. 'These parents!'…she said, and I just can't imagine what she must hear all day, every day…and someone asked the other day if I'm "just playing with kids all day…" No words. Some people I meet say 'So what do you do here in Memphis?….' No words can describe what I find myself getting into, going places I never imagined I could go, and having people come to ME with some of the heaviest things. But I share the beautiful things too because there are so many of them! I see God working every day in my life and the lives of others, growing me and teaching me new things..working in the lives of children who don't know who their family is, but know His love when they see it. I take children almost everywhere I go and every day I am stopped and asked about adoption/foster care..even though I have not officially done either of those things, God has been using me as an advocate for many years. I have tons of resources and people to connect others to who are interested in serving and possibly caring for other children. One of my favorite things to do is to be a connector, connecting people to opportunities and resources that help fuel their passions. I have no measure of how many people God has touched through the stories that I have shared and been blessed to be a part of, and I love that! I receive messages almost every day from close friends and strangers about how I have encouraged them to step out and do something! wow. That also leaves me speechless… because that is not ME. That is Jesus, using this broken and wandering single 20-something living in the hood... How do I do it? Be available. Be bold. Take chances, especially on people. Give Love. Laugh Lots. and Dream BIG. Never miss an opportunity to make someone smile. You only have one life, and God does not promise that it will be easy…for any of us. The pains that I described above are in the lives of the black, white, latino, rich, poor, old, and young. Pain is all around us, and everybody can make a difference in the lives of others who are hurting. All we have to do is choose to get in the MESS. The more you open yourself up to get into broken peoples lives, the bigger the mess gets. But its a beautiful mess, and Jesus commissioned us to GO. Go with our broken mess to meet people in theirs, sharing in our need for the only source of Hope and Freedom that we have. Christ alone.